[TAC] THREE'S A CROWD

Chapter 21*

{New}

The school days for New have been the same as usual---well, as it's been for the last month at least. He still gets the same gut wrenching feeling whenever he sees Tay within a mile radius, except this time the feeling is paired with the confusion that still lingers from when Tay popped up on his doorstep in the middle of the night.

The fact that it's been a month since their breakup makes New very uneasy. They walk around, completely ignoring one another, spending their time talking to other people, as though they'd never even had anything before. In a way, it's almost as if they'd never been together, with how seriously they act as though the other doesn't even exist.

New wants those two long, amazing years of his life back, because now he knows he could've spent all that time doing something useful, like actually caring about his grades, not planning his future around one particular person, or maybe joining a club or two.

At the same time, New winces at the mere thought of having those years erased, because even though all those memories cause him pain, it helps him remember that he's experienced being in love. Yeah, he's still in love, but for future reference---in case by chance he actually gets over this---he'll know he's been in love before, he knows how it feels, and that's not something many get to say.

It's another day where he's sitting next to Tay in the one class they have together, the class New used to always be so excited to attend even though he knew he would see Tay at least five other times outside of it. Now he dreads it, has to drag his heavy feet in order to get to the class on time, and then he has to watch the eyes on him as he takes his stupid seat.

New hopes he gets off lucky again and Mr. Niti doesn't ask them to do anything that requires interaction with other students, but unfortunately, that isn't what ends up happening. He should've known his luck would run out at some point.

The words that come out of his teacher's mouth cause him to freeze in his seat completely.

"Turn to someone next to you and discuss how the poem..." the rest of his words fade out of New's ears once he hears the first part.

He shifts his head down and stares at his hands as he hears the rest of the class start to discuss and analyze the poem written on the board. He examines each of his fingers thoroughly, as though they're the most interesting things in the world right now. He prays Tay will just turn to the person on the other side of him and spare New all of his suffering.

"I think the idioms in the poem are what makes it unique," he hears from next to him. New remains still at first, just in case Tay hadn't been talking to him, but after a while he can't help but bring his eyes up to check. Sure enough, Tay is staring right at him, his expression indifferent as he rests his chin on his fist. He looks gloriously soft, his hair gracefully framing his face as he stares at New and waits for a reply.

Tay's...actually trying to discuss idioms with him.

Okay.

New brings his hand up with plans to bite on his nail, right before stopping himself and settling his hand back on his lap. "Um...I..." New starts, his mouth lingering open. He has no idea what to say, because for one, he wasn't listening to anything going on in class anyway, and two, how can he take Tay seriously right now?

"Look..." Tay says, and New shuts his mouth immediately. Tay's hands settle on top of the table and he looks down at them as he positions his knees in order to face New more properly. "I don't want there to be any harsh feelings between us. There's no animosity, right?"

New's pretty sure his eyes are gigantic as he stares at Tay, nodding and dumbfounded.

Tay speaks again when he figures that's the most New's going to communicate with him. "I don't hate you."